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Tobias Read

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Tobias Read
30th Secretary of State of Oregon
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 6, 2025
GovernorTina Kotek
Preceded byLaVonne Griffin-Valade
29th Treasurer of Oregon
In office
January 3, 2017 – January 6, 2025
GovernorKate Brown
Tina Kotek
Preceded byTed Wheeler
Succeeded byElizabeth Steiner
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 27th district
In office
January 8, 2007 – January 3, 2017
Preceded byMark Hass
Succeeded bySheri Malstrom
Personal details
Born (1975-07-01) July 1, 1975 (age 49)
Missoula, Montana, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseHeidi Eggert
Children2
EducationWillamette University (BA)
University of Washington (MBA)
Signature

Tobias Read (born July 1, 1975) is an American politician who is currently serving as the 30th Oregon Secretary of State since 2025. As a member of the Democratic Party he served as the 29th Oregon State Treasurer from 2017 to 2025. Before that, he was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives, representing the 27th district from 2007 to 2017, which comprised parts of Beaverton, southwest Portland, and unincorporated Multnomah and Washington Counties. He served as Speaker Pro Tempore and was formerly the Democratic Majority Whip.

In 2016, Read ran for Oregon State Treasurer, to succeed State Treasurer Ted Wheeler, who was barred from running in 2016 by term limits. Read won the general election against Republican Jeff Gudman on November 8, 2016[1] and became the state treasurer in January 2017. He was reelected in 2020 by a wider margin. He was a candidate for governor of Oregon in the 2022 election, losing to Tina Kotek in the Democratic primary.[2]

In 2023, Read announced his candidacy for Secretary of State after an ethics violation led to the resignation of Shemia Fagan.[3] He beat James Manning Jr., a State Senator from Eugene, in the primary election,[4] and Dennis Linthicum, a State Senator from Klamath Falls, in the general election.[5]

Early life and education

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Read was born in 1975 in Missoula, Montana. After growing up in Boise, Idaho,[6] he moved to Oregon where he graduated from Willamette University in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in politics and economics.[7] While at Willamette, Read was a member of the rowing team.[8] It was there that he also met lifelong friend Dmitri Palmateer, who now serves as his Chief of Staff.[9] In 2003, Read earned an MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle.[7]

Career

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From 1999 to 2001, Read worked for the United States Department of the Treasury as an aide to then-Secretary Lawrence Summers. His immediate supervisor was Sheryl Sandberg.[10] Read then returned to Oregon after graduate school, working for startup SkyTaxi for several months before finding work at Nike as a footwear developer, where he worked from 2004 to 2012.[11] In 2012, he left his role at Nike to focus full-time on his political career.[12]

Read in 2012, while serving as a state legislator.

State Representative

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Read served in the Oregon State Legislature from 2007 to 2016 as the representative from the 27th district. As a legislator, Read was a strong advocate for fully funding Oregon's full-day kindergarten;[13] supported state investments in green tech jobs and research through Oregon InC and other initiatives;[14][15] worked to stabilize state funding and enhance the state's Rainy Day funds;[16] and sponsored legislation to redirect unclaimed funds from class action lawsuits to legal assistance for low income Oregonians;[17][18] rather than back to the original corporate wrongdoers. Throughout his legislative career, he sought to expand savings in Oregon's college savings program, and sponsored legislation to create additional options for retirement savings for Oregonians.

During his time in the Oregon House, Read served as House Majority Whip, and in 2015 he was elected Speaker Pro Tempore. He served as chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Economic Development and the House Committee on Higher Education, Innovation, and Workforce Development. He also served on the House Revenue Committee and the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, the committee of the Legislature primarily responsible for writing the state budget.

State Treasurer

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Read speaking as a state representative

In 2016, Read ran for Oregon State Treasurer, to succeed Ted Wheeler, who was barred by term limits from running again in 2016. He was unopposed in the primary and won the general election by a plurality in November 2016, defeating Republican Jeff Gudman,[1] and became the state treasurer in January 2017.

Following the 2019 death Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, Read was first in the line of succession for the office of Governor until the 2020 election of Shemia Fagan. As Oregon does not have a lieutenant governor position, the Secretary of State is normally the first to succeed the governor in the event of a vacancy. However, as Richardson's successor Bev Clarno was an appointee, she was ineligible to become governor, making Read first in the line of succession.[19]

Read ran for and won re-election as State Treasurer in 2020, facing Republican Jeff Gudman again in a rematch.[20] This time, Read secured a decisive win, beating Gudman 51 to 41%.[21] Later, Read again became first in the gubernatorial line of succession after Secretary of State Fagan resigned on May 8, 2023.[22] He remained first in the line of succession when Governor Kotek appointed Secretary LaVonne Griffin-Valade.

First State-Sponsored Retirement Savings Plan

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In 2015, in an effort led by Read and organizations such as SEIU and AARP, the Oregon Legislature enacted legislation which created the Oregon Retirement Savings Board and tasked it with establishing a state-run retirement savings program and managing its oversight. The retirement program created was called OregonSaves.[23] In 2018, Finance industry publication Pensions & Investments and the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) honored Read and OregonSaves with the Excellence & Innovation Award. The award recognizes public and private-sector efforts to enhance retirement security.[24] In 2019 Read was invited to speak to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on the states innovative approach to retirement savings.[25]

Sale of Elliott State Forest

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In 2017, Read voted to sell 82,500 acres of the Elliott State Forest to a Roseburg-based timber company for $221 million. Revenues from the sale would have been added to the state's education fund.[26] Following pushback from environmentalist and other Oregon Democrats, Read withdrew his support for the proposal.[27][28] Later in his tenure as State Treasurer, Read unveiled a proposal for the Elliott State Research Forest, an innovative solution to keep the forest in public hands and combat climate change. [29]

Oregon College Savings Plan

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As Treasurer, Read oversees the Oregon College Savings Program (OCSP), which helps Oregonians save for education after high school.[30]

Read worked with the Oregon State Legislature to pass the Education Savings Credit which changes the tax advantage from a deduction to a refundable credit.[31] Begun in 2020, the Education Savings Credit makes it easier for low-to-moderate income families save for education after high school. Read worked with a diverse group of organizations including the Latina Network, Stand for Children, and the Oregon Student Association[32] and legislators[33] to pass the Education Savings Credit.

Net-Zero Plan

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Early in 2024, Read announced his plan to move OPERF, Oregon's $100 billion pension plan, to carbon neutral by 2050.[34] The 97-page document built a roadmap for Oregon to move Oregon away from high-risk investments in fossil fuels, and built in an intermediate goal of achieving a 60% reduction of emissions by 2035.[35] The inaugural progress report was published on January 2nd, 2025.[36]

2022 gubernatorial campaign

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Main article: 2022 Oregon gubernatorial election

On September 27, 2021, Read officially announced that he was running for governor.[37] More than a dozen candidates contended for the Democratic nomination, including New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof and eventual winner, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek.[38] In February 2022, Kristof was barred from running due to residency requirements, narrowing the field of leading candidates to Read and Kotek.[39] While Read and Kotek shared many views, Read stressed the need to return to school once students received COVID vaccines and took a harder line on ensuring improved educational outcomes and moving homeless people off the streets and into shelters.[40] Ultimately, Kotek topped Read 56 to 32%, with all other candidates receiving 2% or less.[41]

Secretary of State

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Read meets with supporters in Portland on the campaign trail, fall 2024.
Main article: 2024 Oregon Secretary of State election

Read announced his intention to run for Secretary of State in July 2023 and officially launched his campaign on September 13.[42] He faced state senator James Manning in the Democratic primary[42] and won with nearly 70% of the vote.[43]

In the general election, Read faced Republican State Senator Dennis Linthicum of Klamath Falls. Read ran a campaign centered around rebuilding trust and integrity in the Secretary of State's office, which had faced years of turmoil and changing leadership.[44] During the campaign, the Oregon Department of Transportation, which oversees the state's automatic voter registration system, announced that they had incorrectly registered more than 1,500 noncitizens to vote.[45] Read and Linthicum both spoke out against the error, with Read declaring that “Oregonians deserve a thorough investigation of the automatic voter registration program’s implementation, as well as accountability at both the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Secretary of State’s Office."[46] That November, Read won the general election with 54% to Linthicum's 42%.[47]

Changes As Secretary of State

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During his transition into the Secretary of State's office, Secretary-Elect Read recruited Dena Dawson, the Lane County clerk, to serve as Oregon's next Elections Director, following the abrupt departure of previous director Molly Woon.[48][49] The following spring, Secretary Read announced on social media that he had begun traveling to each county in the state to meet with their county clerks and elections officials.[50] He also removed a compromised state audit from the books which previous Secretary of State Shemia Fagan had issued while taking a lucrative consulting check from the audit's subject.[51]

Personal life

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Read lives in Beaverton, Oregon with his wife Heidi Eggert and their two children, Annika and Ellis.[52] He has devoted much of his free time to giving back to his community, including volunteering with Start Making a Reader Today (SMART), coaching youth sports, and serving as a founding board member of Hoopla, Oregon's largest three-on-three charity basketball tournament.[53] Read is an avid basketball fan and has made several appearances on sports journalist John Canzano's podcast The Bald Faced Truth.[54]


Electoral history

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Oregon House of Representatives

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2006 Oregon State Representative, 27th district [55]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 14,325 59.5
Republican Domonic Biggi 9,706 40.3
Write-in 43 0.2
Total votes 24,074 100%
2008 Oregon State Representative, 27th district [56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 19,420 70.2
Republican Michael F DeVietro 8,139 29.4
Write-in 86 0.3
Total votes 27,645 100%
2010 Oregon State Representative, 27th district [57]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 15,398 62.2
Republican Dan Lucas 9,328 37.7
Write-in 34 0.1
Total votes 24,760 100%
2012 Oregon State Representative, 27th district [58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 19,180 67.9
Republican Burton Keeble 9,005 31.9
Write-in 81 0.3
Total votes 28,266 100%
2014 Oregon State Representative, 27th district [59]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 17,621 80.8
Libertarian Robert D Martin 3,967 18.2
Write-in 211 1.0
Total votes 21,799 100%

Oregon State Treasurer

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2016 results by county
2020 results by county
Oregon State Treasurer election, November 8, 2016[60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 828,354 44.11%
Republican Jeff Gudman 776,513 41.35%
Independent Party Chris Telfer 176,892 9.42%
Progressive Chris Henry 92,663 4.93%
Write-ins 3,497 0.19%
Total votes 1,877,919 100%
2020 Oregon State Treasurer election[61]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Tobias Read (incumbent) 1,166,703 51.68% +7.57%
Republican Jeff Gudman 936,916 41.50% +0.15%
Independent Party Chris Henry 99,870 4.43% −4.99%
Constitution Michael Marsh 51,894 2.30% N/A
Write-in 2,072 0.09% -0.10%
Total votes 2,257,455 100.0%
Democratic hold

Oregon Secretary of State

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2024 Oregon Secretary of State election[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tobias Read 1,166,447 54.4
Republican Dennis Linthicum 897,704 41.9
Pacific Green Nathalie Paravicini 76,170 3.6
Write-in 2,011 0.1
Total votes 2,142,332 100%

References

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  1. ^ a b Marum, Anna (November 8, 2016). "Tobias Read elected Oregon treasurer". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Borrud, Hillary (May 18, 2022). "Tina Kotek wins Democratic primary for Oregon governor". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  3. ^ https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2023/07/24/oregon-state-treasurer-read-prepares-to-enter-secretary-of-state-race/
  4. ^ https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/05/state-treasurer-tobias-read-leads-in-democratic-primary-for-oregon-secretary-of-state.html
  5. ^ https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/05/oregon-secretary-of-state-2024-election-results-read-linthicum-paravicini/75739606007/
  6. ^ https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/12/tobias-read-democrat-oregon-treasurer-governor-candidate/
  7. ^ a b Brettman, Allan (June 8, 2012). "State Rep. Tobias Read leaves Nike to focus on legislative work". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  8. ^ https://www.opb.org/article/2022/04/12/tobias-read-democrat-oregon-treasurer-governor-candidate/
  9. ^ https://news.willamette.edu/library/2025/01/tobias-read.html
  10. ^ Jaquiss, Nigel (September 27, 2016). "Five Things You Didn't Know About Tobias Read". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 29, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  11. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjread/
  12. ^ https://www.oregonlive.com/playbooks-profits/2012/06/state_rep_tobias_read_leaves_n.html
  13. ^ "SB248 2011 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  14. ^ "HB2795 2009 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  15. ^ "HB3300 2009 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  16. ^ "An improved tax plan". The Register-Guard. June 12, 2009. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  17. ^ "Oregon HB 2700 - Requires Redistribution of Unclaimed Damages from Class Action Lawsuits - Oregon Key Vote - the Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  18. ^ "Error" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  19. ^ "Some Oregon Republicans are having regrets about effort to recall Gov. Kate Brown". The Oregonian. July 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  20. ^ https://www.opb.org/article/2020/11/04/tobias-read-jeff-gudman-oregon-treasurer/
  21. ^ https://www.opb.org/article/2020/11/04/tobias-read-jeff-gudman-oregon-treasurer/
  22. ^ Shumway, Julia (June 30, 2023). "LaVonne Griffin-Valade takes over as Oregon secretary of state with pledge to rebuild trust". Oregon Capital Chronicle. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  23. ^ "State of Oregon: OregonSaves - Oregon Retirement Savings Board". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  24. ^ "9 awarded Excellence and Innovation Awards from P&I". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  25. ^ "Hearing | Hearings | the United States Senate Committee on Finance". Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  26. ^ Urness, Zach (February 23, 2017). "Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read defends vote to sell Elliott State Forest". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  27. ^ Urness, Zach (March 28, 2017). "Treasurer Tobias Read now open to keeping Elliott State Forest public". Statesman Journal. Archived from the original on August 8, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  28. ^ Mapes, Jeff (March 28, 2017). "Oregon Treasurer Backs Away From Move To Privatize Elliott State Forest". OPB. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  29. ^ https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/OST/Posts/Post/treasurer-read-celebrates-signing-of-elliott-state-research-forest-legislation-54987
  30. ^ "Treasury : Financial Empowerment : State of Oregon". Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  31. ^ "HB 2387 – Education Savings Credit". Oregon Treasury Department. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  32. ^ "HB 2387 – Education Savings Credit". Oregon Treasury Department. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  33. ^ "Committee Meeting Document". Oregon Future Caucus. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  34. ^ https://www.salemreporter.com/2024/01/15/treasurer-readies-plan-to-get-state-pension-fund-to-net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions/
  35. ^ https://www.oregon.gov/treasury/Documents/Site-Documentation/Landing-Page-Documents/Sustainable-Investing/OST-Net-Zero-Plan.pdf
  36. ^ https://www.ai-cio.com/news/oregon-pension-publishes-inaugural-progress-report-on-net-zero-plan/
  37. ^ https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/tobias-read-oregon-governor-campaign/283-ab903643-e96c-44f7-aa91-9ff3dc362346
  38. ^ https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_gubernatorial_election,_2022
  39. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/17/us/kristof-oregon-governor.html
  40. ^ https://www.kgw.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/straight-talk/democratic-debate-tina-kotek-tobias-read/283-44320e8f-a137-47bf-9ea3-123e3eb8c19b
  41. ^ https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_gubernatorial_election,_2022
  42. ^ a b Edge, Sami (September 13, 2023). "Oregon state Sen. James Manning, Treasurer Tobias Read running for secretary of state". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  43. ^ https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/05/state-treasurer-tobias-read-leads-in-democratic-primary-for-oregon-secretary-of-state.html
  44. ^ https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/16/linthicum-paravicini-read-run-for-oregon-secretary-of-state/75590376007/
  45. ^ https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/10/07/oregon-officials-call-for-audit-as-number-of-noncitizens-registered-to-vote-increases/
  46. ^ https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/10/07/oregon-officials-call-for-audit-as-number-of-noncitizens-registered-to-vote-increases/
  47. ^ https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2024/11/state-treasurer-tobias-read-leading-in-race-to-become-oregons-next-secretary-of-state.html
  48. ^ https://www.opb.org/article/2024/12/23/lane-county-clerk-dena-dawson-oregon-elections-director/
  49. ^ https://www.wweek.com/news/2024/12/18/murmurs-top-officials-depart-secretary-of-states-office/
  50. ^ https://www.facebook.com/ORSOSTobiasRead/posts/our-county-clerks-and-elections-officials-are-some-of-the-hardest-working-people/1195180228830792/
  51. ^ https://www.wweek.com/news/2025/03/12/tobias-read-removes-compromised-olcc-audit-from-state-records/
  52. ^ "Tobias Read's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  53. ^ https://rfkhumanrights.org/person/tobias-read/
  54. ^ https://soundcloud.com/kxtg-the-bald-faced-truth/bft-interview-tobias-read-2
  55. ^ "Official Results | November 7, 2006". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  56. ^ "Official Results | November 4, 2008". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 10, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  57. ^ "Official Results November 2, 2010". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  58. ^ "Official Results | November 6, 2012". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  59. ^ "November 4, 2014, General Election, Official Abstract of Votes". Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  60. ^ "UNOFFICIAL 2016 GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 8, 2016". OregonVotes. Oregon Secretary of State. Archived from the original on February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  61. ^ "November 3, 2020, General Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  62. ^ "November 5, 2024, General Election Abstract of Votes" (PDF). Oregon Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tobias Read.
Oregon House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 27th district
2007–2017 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Treasurer of Oregon
2016, 2020 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Secretary of State of Oregon
2024 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Treasurer of Oregon
2017–2025 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State of Oregon
2025–present 		Incumbent
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